Not so long ago, people were allowed to smoke in restaurants, bars and most public places. Smokers insisted it was their right, but the laws were changed and that false argument gave way to common sense and that the right of nonsmokers to live in a healthier environment prevailed.

All the best medical knowledge clearly states that vaccines are safe. The right of children to not be unnecessarily exposed to serious illnesses clearly is in the public good. This is not an argument about a child’s right to an education because the parents do not have a right to their own science.

Peter Miron-Conk

San Jose

Limit building, influx of people to save water

I read Peter Gleick’s oped (Opinion, April 19) article about “beautiful” landscaping and wonder if he also includes the hundreds (if not thousands) of new housing complexes being build in our valley.

No one questions the water problems we face in our area, but nobody seems willing or able to consider a somewhat novel idea as a partial solution: Halt the building and fast-growing influx of people into the valley.

While many urge a vast reduction in water usage, no one discusses a big contribution factor to our water shortage — too many people with a decreasing water supply. It appears that the desire to build more and more housing for an ever-increasing population is perfectly OK with our governmental powers; once again, money seems far more important to our elected officials than a solution far more reasonable: Stop building and encouraging huge growth in the valley.

Frank Fletcher

San Jose

Too few hold an interest in chamber music

What a shame to read (Page 3B, April 17) that the Sunset Concerts, a series of chamber music concerts in Los Gatos, will come to an end. It seems that, in this day and age, people just have no interest in the arts, as evidenced by the demise of so many other arts organizations, both locally and nationwide. Chamber music in particular contains some of the most profound music ever written (just listen to the string quintet by Franz Schubert), yet it remains completely unknown to the vast majority of people. The fact that it’s ridiculed in a recent car commercial as unmanly tellingly points to the loss of appreciation of the fine arts in our fabulously wealthy area. But how poor are we becoming.

Dean M. Harpster

San Jose

Clean Money Act will keep people in control

Thank you for the great editorial on Hillary Clinton’s opposition to the infamous Citizens United ruling (Editorial, April 16). Our nation cannot long stand as a democracy if we continue to let the billionaires choose who we vote for by warping political speech in their favor. We are we the people, not we the super wealthy, the last time I checked our Constitution. We in California have an opportunity to help reverse the trend toward big money political control. I refer to the California Clean Money Act, SB 52, which passed the Senate with a 28-11 bipartisan vote. It’s now in the Assembly. Call your representative and tell him or her to pass this bill.

William Barrett

San Jose

Rings performance great entertainment

All the musicians in the Symphony Silicon Valley, the Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale, the Ragazzi Boy’s Choir and the Cantabile Youth Singers deserve the highest praise for their tour de force performance of the Lord of the Rings trilogy this past weekend. Each of the three events was so beautiful and so professional. I thoroughly enjoyed each one. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to have two performances on Saturday and two on Sunday, to make it possible to have a cycle that was easier for working people to attend.

Thank you so much for this wonderful entertainment.

Michele Hollar

Palo Alto

Soccer field shuttle service would help

Your excellent editorial regarding Santa Clara Youth Soccer and 49er CEO Jed York raises community awareness to this problem (Editorial, April 21). York said he’d work to solve the soccer problem, but current proposals make one think that this was his plan all along. Instead of taking over the youth soccer fields, let’s find a way to allow them to operate on game days or special event days. A shuttle service for players and parents would allow the soccer community access to their fields. Parking for the players and soccer fans would be easier developed and the shuttle service could provide continuous service to and from the soccer facility.

Chuck Jacobson

San Jose

No need for government to approve marriages

I have never really understood the concept of marriage by license. This is a twisted and archaic practice that should be abandoned. Why should we, as a free society, need to ask the government for permission to marry another person? Instead of asking for a license, people should be able to simply tell the government that a marriage has occurred. The county recorder/registrar should not be a place to request the ability to marry, it should be a place where marriages are recorded.

Marriage is a decision between people to love, honor, and care. No government should be able to tell us when to begin a marriage, who should be involved in a marriage, or whether gender determines a person’s ability to love.